INSIDE…Shabbat and festival services p3

Report from the Chairman p4

Promoting the work of volunteers p6

Educational opportunities p10-12

The KT class of 2016 p14

A poetic tribute to Montefiore p16

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE LIBERAL JEWISH SYNAGOGUE

LJS New

s

June 2016

Iyar-Sivan5776

In the shadow of horrorThe Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe:one of the Berlin destinations visited in May by a groupfrom The LJS – and the catalyst to a train of thoughtthat led Rabbi Alexandra Wright to think about ourresponsibility to engage others with the facts ofhistory. Her reflections on the visit are on pages 7-9.

Don’tmisstheseJust a few of theunmissable events at The LJS in theweeks ahead:

11th-12th JuneCelebrate Shavu’otovernight at The LJSand West LondonSynagogue:

Full details: page 5

Saturday 18th JuneThe Poet’s Quest forPeace: ContemporaryVoices Across theFaiths:

For more details, see page 13.

Friday 1st JulyMichael Oren, formerIsraeli Ambassador tothe USA, speaks at ourErev Shabbat service:

More details, page 2.

Phot

o: Su

e Bols

om

2

The Liberal JewishSynagogue Tel 020 7286 5181 Fax 020 7266 3591 Linked to Typetalk E-mail ljs@ljs.orgWebsite www.ljs.orgThe Liberal Jewish Synagogue is a company limited by guarantee(Company No 9113305) and aregistered charity in England and Wales (Charity No 1159292).Registered Office: 28 St John’s Wood RoadLondon NW8 7HA Senior Rabbi Alexandra Wright Rabbi Emeritus David J Goldberg OBE RabbisRachel BenjaminRené PfertzelChairman of Council Sue Head Head of Rimon Religion School Dov Softi Nursery Head Teacher Caroline VilliersExecutive Director Caroline Bach Community Care Co-ordinator Aviva Shafritz Director of Music Cathy Heller-Jones OrganistTim Farrell In case of bereavement:In office hours, ring 020 7432 1298 At other times, ring 020 8958 2112(Calo’s) LJS News Team EditorPeter SingerArtworkDavies Communications Tel 020 7586 0850PrintingJigsawUnit 27, Bermondsey Trading EstateRotherhithe New Road SE16 3LLTel 020 7394 2799 Fax 020 7394 2790 Copy dates: The next LJS News will be for July 2016. Final copydate: 7th June 2016. Copy shouldbe sent to The Editors at the LJS, or by email to ljs@ljs.org© The Liberal Jewish Synagogue 2016

Thank youThe Library Committee was delighted to receive a bequest to theLJS library on behalf of Dick Langton who was a highly valuedmember of the committee

Welcometo new members James and Annette Sellar and their childrenJonas, Oralee, Nathaniel and Raphael

Mazal Tovto LJS Director of Music Cathy Heller-Jones and her husbandRichard, on the birth of a son, Benjamin, to their daughterRachel and her husband James

BereavementWe extend our sympathy to those who mourn:

Magda Geiger, mother of Judy Geiger Rowan and mother-in-lawof Eric Rowan, grandmother of Mark and Daniel Rowan

המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר האבליםMay God comfort you and all who mourn

The LJS Annual General Meeting will beheld at 19.30 on Wednesday 15th June

in the Montefiore Hall

All members and friends of the synagogue are

invited to attend. For more details, see The LJS

website and noticeboards in the synagogue.

Don’t miss the chance to hear Michael Oren,former Israeli Ambassador to the UnitedStates, who will be speaking at our Erev

Shabbat service on Friday 1st July at 18.45 Born in upstate New York, Michael Scott Bornstein – as hewas then – emigrated to Israel in 1979, changing his nameto Michael Oren. He has a PhD in Near Eastern Studies fromPrinceton and taught at the Hebrew University ofJerusalem and Tel Aviv University. He was appointed IsraeliAmbassador to the United States in 2009 and hosted theIsraeli Embassy’s first Iftar dinner (the meal after theRamadan fast). He is currently a Member of the Knesset forthe Kulanu party.

Shabbat and festival services: JuneFriday evening services start at 18.45 and Shabbat morning services at 11.00.

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DATE RABBI/SPEAKER NOTES

Friday 3rd June René Pfertzel Young Adult Chavurah

Shabbat 4th June David J. Goldberg Aufruf Tom Camber and Jade GouldenHalf-term Rimon

Friday 10th June Rachel Benjamin

Shabbat 11th JuneShabbat Naso

Rachel Benjamin David Strang special birthday

Saturday 11th June18.45

René Pfertzel Erev Shavu’ot service followed by Chavurah Supperand Cheesecake Competition. After supper we will be joining West London Synagoguecongregants for our joint all-night Tikkun LeylShavu’ot – see page 5 for more details

Sunday 12th June Intergenerational Service

Shavu’ot morning service for everyone, with adramatisation of the Book of Ruth followed by a picnic in the park. Please bring your ownsandwiches and, of course, cheesecake

Friday 17th June René Pfertzel Trilingual service followed by Chavurah supper

Shabbat 18th JuneB’ha’a lot’cha

Alexandra Wright Baby Blessing Noah Maigné SenatThe Poet’s Quest for Peace: see page 13

Friday 24th June Alexandra Wright

Shabbat 25th JuneSh’lach L’cha

Alexandra Wright New members’ service

Friday 1st July Alexandra Wright

Michael Oren

Service co-led by Michael Falk Bar Mitzvah

Guest speaker, former Israeli Ambassador to the USA (2009-13)

Shabbat 2nd JulyKorach

Alexandra Wright Bar Mitzvah Michael Falk

Friday 8th July Rachel Benjamin Service co-led by Gabriel Tuvey Bar Mitzvah

Shabbat 9th JulyChukkat

Rachel Benjamin Bar Mitzvah Gabriel TuveyAufruf Anthony Lazarus and Abigail MagrillNosh ‘n’ Drosh with Robin MichaelsonShema Koleinu Service in the John Rayner Room

Shabbatand festival services

Shabbatmorning services are now

streamed live via the internet. If youwould like to follow a service on yourcomputer or tablet, please phone the

LJS office to get your user nameand password.

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As I wrote to you allearlier this year, animportant part of my

role as Chairman is to keepyou informed of thediscussions, recommendationsand decisions being taken byCouncil.

You already know that wehave begun considering howto improve the downstairsarea at the back of thesynagogue building. Thisincludes the Montefiore Hall,the reception area and rearvestibule, the kitchen andtoilets. We are looking forwardto receiving some designs andindicative figures at our nextCouncil meeting. When wehave a more detailed proposal,we will display this for you allto see and comment upon.This project is being led bySteve Penn, one of our Councilmembers. More news on thissoon!

Of course, all of this isexpensive, as are the day-to-day running costs of thesynagogue. Membershipsubscriptions are not enoughfor all we need to do. Councilhas spent some timediscussing the best ways tocreate a fundraising plan. Inthis, we are being led byanother Council member,Russell Delew. Russell isgathering together a group ofsynagogue members who aregoing to take a strategic

approach in shaping thefundraising plan. Investing infundraising is a bigcommitment: as part of this,we are appointing a part-timeFundraising Manager on afixed term contract to developand implement the strategy.

In our recent Councilmeetings, one of our debateshas focused on our archives.Sharon Lewison, who leadsthe Archives Group, outlinedto us the need to have a visionfor the future and alsopresented some practicalproblems: for example, thestorage and preservation ofthe archives, as well as how tomake them accessible forthose undertaking research(including looking at theadvantages of digitisation). Asmall group of Councilmembers has agreed to workwith the Archives team,looking at ways forward.

We are soon approaching thesynagogue’s Annual GeneralMeeting, on Wednesday 15thJune, and to which I hope youwill be able to come. I’d like topublicly acknowledge thework of two Council memberswho are standing down thisyear: Tony Weiss and SueBolsom. Both of them makehuge contributions to the lifeof The LJS and have beenactive contributors to Councildiscussions.

Among the many things thatSue has organised are socialaction projects, group tripsabroad for synagoguemembers to places of Jewishinterest, fundraising and socialevents and the project torefurbish the kitchen.

Tony has been a member ofCouncil for many years andalso the calm and capableChair of the Building andFacilities Committee. He hasmade a real impact on thebuilding, ensuring it is wellmaintained, trouble-shootingproblems which arise andhaving clear and sensible ideasfor the future.

We will miss Sue and Tony asCouncil members and thankthem for all they have done.Knowing them, I suspect theywill continue to be activecontributors to the life of thecommunity.

Sue Head

LJS Chairman Sue Head reports on the latest Council meeting

Building plans and departing members

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Come and celebrate Shavu’otovernight on 11th-12th JuneTikkun leyl Shavu’ot is an old tradition of all-night study, originating in 16th centurySafed in northern Israel.

This year, West London Synagogue will hostus on the eve of Shavu’ot. We will breakRamadan fast with the Muslim community,and celebrate together the Queen’s 90thbirthday.

The theme this year is ‘Revealing theRevelation’. All night long, you will have a lotof opportunities to learn with rabbis andeducators:

18.45 Erev Shavu’ot service at The LJS.

19.45 Chavurah supper and cheesecakecompetition.

20.45 Leave LJS for West LondonSynagogue.

21.15 Debate chaired by Rabbi JuliaNeuberger: ‘This house believesthat the two versions of the TenCommandments are not materiallydifferent.’

Speaking for the motion, the panelwill include The Talmud – in itsentirety, Solomon Alkabetz, famedfor his Kabbalat Shabbat hymn L’chaDodi, and the 19th century giant oforthodoxy, Rabbi Samson Raphael

Hirsch. Against the motion, the P (Priestly) Source and The D (Deuteronomist) Source,(members of that diehard 19th century organisation The Documentary Hypothesis, and the famous medievalgrammarian, poet and biblicalcommentator, Abraham ibn Ezra.

The debate begins promptly at 21.15at West London Synagogue andformally ends at 22.15, but will nodoubt continue long into the smallhours of the morning in ourprogramme of study, discussions andworkshops – featuring, as always,‘Rabbis at Midnight’.

3.45 Early-bird breakfast.

4.45 Shacharit on the roof.

11.00 (on Sunday 12th June) –Shavu’ot morning at The LJS.A special Intergenerational service ledby families from Rimon religion school,with a dramatic presentation on theBook of Ruth and followed by a picnicin the park. All ages welcome at thisspecial service.

Shema Koleinu: Hear our Voiceor Koleinu (Our Voice) for short

is the new name for our parallel minyan on occasional Shabbat mornings with Shabbat morning music, Shabbat reading and discussion.

Our next Koleinu minyanim in the Rabbi John Rayner Room will take place at 11.00 on Shabbat 9th July, led by members of The LJS, and on Shabbat 17th September.

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To celebrate the work ofvolunteers in the Jewishcommunity – and to encouragenew volunteers to comeforward – the JewishVolunteering Network is runningpromotional stands at BrentCross and in Edgware Broadwalk duringNational Volunteers’ Week, from 1st-12th June.

The network is also working with the BarnetMulti-Faith Forum on the first multi-faith andcultural festival in Barnet, taking place onAugust Bank Holiday. The object is to show thepositive attributes faith communities play in thebuilding of a healthier society and to celebratethe achievements of faith communities in theborough.

JVN works closely with the Faiths Forum ForLondon, to deliver training and support andhelp it to build its capacity to engage, supportand manage volunteers, including those withphysical or learning disabilities

For the first time, the JVN will be promotingvolunteering in synagogues. This, like thepublicity stands, will be to thank existing

volunteers as well as toencourage new people to comeforward to give their time andexpertise.

The refugee crisis in Europe hasspurred many into action and

there are plenty of people in the Jewishcommunity eager to help those in need. JVN isco-ordinating the volunteering effort on behalfof the Jewish community.

The JVN website helps volunteers find suitableopportunities and its telephone helpline offersa bespoke matching service for specificprojects. Whether you feel able to give one houra week to the synagogue, to a hospice, foodbank, a national campaign, or go volunteeringabroad, JVN matches volunteers withopportunities that match their interests andskills.

Why not visit the new JVN website atwww.jvn.org.uk to see for yourself theopportunities available and register your detailsto join the 3,500 existing volunteers and 300service-user charities.

David Lazarus

What some of JVN’svolunteers say:

‘I am currentlydropping foodparcels to threefamilies once a week.I am finding the

volunteering veryrewarding andhumbling!’

– Louise B

‘JVN is a greatresource, it opens upall the opportunities

I hadn’t evenconsidered.’

– Irit H

‘Through JVN I havereally been busydoing some amazingthings and meeting

some lovely people.’– Adele K

‘A lot of the charitieswouldn’t get thehelp they needwithout JVN.’

– Peter K

Let’s celebrate the work of volunteersAboveand right: A few of the many LJS volunteers

7

Iam wondering whether our own community with itslinks to Berlin in quite specific ways, should be offeringmore in the field of Holocaust education.

At the beginning of May, 23 members of our own and otherprogressive congregations travelled to Berlin; visiting a rangeof places, some of which you can see in the photographsaccompanying this piece. What if we had made it ourbusiness to invite others who know little or nothing of theJewish history of Berlin, or who may have been a bitsceptical about it, to join us? They could have sought out andstood on street corners or in front of apartment blocks fromwhich parents or grandparents had fled; or stumbled on theStolpersteine – literally the ‘stumbling stones’, small brass plaqueswith the name, the date of birth, the date of deportation andplace and date of murder, embedded into the cobblestonesoutside the homes and places of work of Jews who lived inBerlin. Or listened to some of our members speaking about theirown parents or grandparents, born in Berlin, who had beendeported and murdered, or who had left as refugees to becomestrangers in a foreign land.

Do we not have a responsibility to help ourselves and others toengage with the facts of history? To be reminded that in a city of140,000 Jews in 1937, reduced to 6,800 by the beginning of June1943 and then declared Judenrein (free from Jews) on 16th June1943, when all the offices of the Jewish community and all otherJewish organisations were closed, only 1,900 returned to Berlinafter the war.

What would our fellow travellers have made of the elegant andimposing Wannsee villa, built on the shores of the glisteningwaters of the lake, next to the historic and fashionable yachtclub? Could they have imagined the 90 minute discussion thattook place on 20th January 1942 when senior Nazi officials andbureaucrats confirmed the plans for the Final Solution – thedeportation and murder of Europe’s Jews? How would they haveresponded to the bleak and precise list drawn up with thenumbers of Jews to be annihilated in each European country:Altreich: 131,800; Generalgouvernment: 2,284,000; Belgium:43,000; Frankreich: 765,000; England: 330,000; Ireland: 4,000…numbering 11 million?

Would they have taken the time to read the clinical, carefullyworded minutes of that meeting with its euphemistic referencesto ‘evacuation’, ‘treatment of this problem’, its minute referring tothe ‘unfavourable’ racial appearance of a second-degree ➜

The Rabbi writes

The links that bind somany LJS members tothe history of the Shoahare made plain by avisit to Berlin. But couldwe do more to spell outthe awful truths of the past to those whoare less inclined toremember, asks RabbiAlexandra Wright

Engagingwith thefacts ofhistory

98

‘Mischling’ [someone of mixed Aryanand Jewish blood] to be classed withthe Jews purely on the basis of hislooks?

And would they have stopped enroute to central Berlin, to examinecarefully the memorials at the edge ofthe platforms on Gleis Siebzehn,Platform 17 at Gruenewald Station,recording the date, the number ofJews and destination of the Jewishtransports to Lodz, Riga and unknownplaces, until the Final Solution is putinto place and the remainder of Berlin’sJews are crammed into cattle trucks bytheir hundreds and thousands to be

sent to Theresienstadt and Auschwitz?

What would they have made ofLiebeskind’s grey, zinc-clad JewishMuseum – its structure laid out as adismantled Star of David, with itspainful angles and narrow windows, itsthree axes of Exile, Holocaust andContinuity: the first leading to anexterior space of 49 concrete pillars, ina design that leaves one with a senseof disorientation and a sickening senseof loss and lack of perspective andbalance? What would their experiencebe of standing in the Holocaust Tower,an empty, cold, dark, chilling spacesymbolising the bleak emptiness andmassive loss of Germany’s Jews?

Would they have chosen to walkamong the tomb-like sepulchres ofPeter Eisenman’s Denkmal für dieermordeten Juden Europas – TheMemorial to the Murdered Jews of

Europe, a huge granite maze that liesbetween the Brandenberg Gate andthe site of Hitler’s chancelleries andabove the bunker of Nazi propagandaminister Joseph Goebbels?

Or stand in front of Die Spiegelwand –the mirrored wall at Steglitz, the first ofmany memorials to the Jews,reminding those who visit that asynagogue once stood in thecourtyard of a neighbouring house?Would they see themselvesdisturbingly reflected among thenames of the 1,723 Berliners, who livedin the district and worshipped at thesynagogue, their dates of birth,addresses and their final destinationsin the death camps of Europe? Andwhat would they think?

In the vast ruins of the NeueSynagogue on Oranienburger strasse, abuilding which once held 3,000people, there is now an exhibition; andamong the exhibits we came across aposter for a Havdalah service held onSaturday evening 19th February 1938.The speaker was Fraeulein RabbinerJonas – the first woman rabbi to beordained, the musicians included asoprano and cellist and the organistPaul Lichtenstein – the same PaulLichtenstein who arrived in Londonbefore the outbreak of war and wasthe organist at The LJS from 1941-75.

A second link with Berlin is with RabbiDr Leo Baeck, scholar, theologian andelected president of Germany’s Jews,who worked tirelessly to maintainmorale and alleviate persecution.Baeck refused offers to leave his

community and, in 1943, aged70, he was sent to Terezinconcentration camp, which hesurvived, joining his daughter inEngland after the war. When hedied on 2nd November 1956,the new theological college forprogressive Rabbis wasrenamed Leo Baeck College.

We are each of us, whatever ourfamily background, through ourassociations with thiscommunity, inextricably linkedwith Berlin and the events ofthe Shoah – and it is thatconnection which mustencourage us to search for truewisdom. For it is only in ourlearning and knowledge, in theobligation to remember andthe willingness to be engagedand connected with the rest ofhumanity, and in all humility andcompassion, that we can engage in the struggle for freedom, justice and peace.

Above: Jeremy Leigh, our guide from ‘Jewish Journeys’, pauses at the place where the body of the murdered revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg was thrown into the Landwehr Canal

Above: Platform 17 at Gruenewald Station– a memorial to the thousands of Berlin

Jews who were deported from the station,at first to Lodz and Riga, and subsequently

to Theresienstadt and Auschwitz

Right: Outside the Konzerthaus, in front of a monument to Schiller, listening toBeethoven’s setting of his ‘Ode to Joy’

This is a shortened version of thesermon preached by Rabbi Alex

Wright on 14th May, Shabbat Emor.

Photos by Sue Bolsom

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at the LJSClasses in Judaism and HebrewPurim term 5776/2016

Hebrew classes Half-term 31st May

Beginners with Susannah Alexander

This class is designed for beginners who want to learn to read and decipher the prayer book. No previous knowledge of Hebrew required. Three-term course.

Next steps in biblical Hebrew with Dr Sally Gold

This class is for those who feel they are able to cope with guided reading, at their own pace,of simple prayer book and biblical Hebrew, and who now feel ready to gradually build theirreading skills and their knowledge of vocabulary and grammar at an unhurried andmanageable pace. The class will allow plenty of time to gain, revise and consolidate throughthe use of texts and some simple exercises which are geared to progressive understandingand confidence. Students will also be introduced to the use of dictionaries and other tools,with a view to being able to try, if they would like to, some independent preparation ofsimple texts.

Difficult texts of the Torah with Alexandra Wright

Now in its third year, this class is looking at some of the more challenging texts of the Torah,building on the grammar and vocabulary we have learnt over the past two years.

If you are not sure which level you should pursue, please speak to Susannah, Sally or Alexandra.

Tuesday TextsThis friendly group is led by our Rabbis, Dr Dov Softi and Susannah Alexander as we studybiblical texts and commentaries and enjoy sessions on Jewish art. Our discussions are lively and relevant to contemporary issues. This year’s topics will include a study of Pirkei Avot(Ethics of the Fathers), a Jewish review of the Gospels and Bach’s St John Passion, storiesfrom the Talmud and Midrash. New members are most welcome. Biscuits are provided.

Tuesday 11.15-12.30 19th April – 19th July

Tuesday 19.00-20.00 19th April – 5th July

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Exploring Judaism Tutor: Rabbi Rachel Benjamin

Exploring Judaism is for people who wish they knew more about Judaism or would like to brush up ontheir Jewish knowledge. It is for family members, who are not Jewish, who would like to understandmore about Judaism. It is also an essential programme of instruction for people choosing Judaism, byconversion. Class members are encouraged to read materials which will be made available onlineduring the course of the year. The course is designed to offer knowledge about aspects of Judaism, toencourage practical experiences of Liberal Judaism and space for personal reflection within the group.

31st May Half Term 7th June Exploring Shavu’ot11th June Tikkun Leyl Shavu’ot 14th June 17 Tammuz, 3 weeks, Tisha B’Av21st June Who is a Jew 28th June Questions?5th July Siyyum/End of year celebration

Tuesday 20.00-21.00 19th April – 12th July

The Learning Circle

Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah course Tutor: Rabbi René PfertzelFor a variety of reasons, some of us did not have a Bar/Bat Mitzvah in their teens. Rabbi Renéis offering an Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah class, open to anyone who wishes to explore themeaning of the Bar Mitzvah and how to make it relevant at various stages of one’s life.

31st May Talmud Torah – Teach them to Your Children D’var Torah

14th June L’Hayyim – To Life! Torah reading

28th June Ehad – Hear O Israel D’var Torah

12th July End of year party

D’var Torah sessions: How to write a sermon? What should be in there? Sharing feedbacks. Sermon delivery.

Torah reading:After the portion has been chosen, we will read and discuss it in groups. The actual work on reading and/or chanting fluency will be done privately, either with the Rabbi, or with a tutor.

Tuesday 20.00-21.00 5th April – 12th July

Hebrew and Yiddish lessons from the Spiro ArkA variety of daytime and evening Hebrew and Yiddish classes are run at the LJSby the educational organisation Spiro Ark on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdaysand Thursdays. Levels range from ‘Beginners’ and ‘Not quite beginners’ to‘Intermediate/Advanced’. For full details of lesson times and charges, pleasevisit www.spiroark.org/classes or phone 020 7289 6321.

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Half-term: 28th May and 4th JuneBeginners’ Hebrew with Naomi Brightwell

Don’t know your aleph from your – oh you know, that other letter at the end of the Hebrewalphabet? Naomi Brightwell’s class uses Jonathan Romain’s Signs and Wonders to help completebeginners decode the squiggles and start tackling what they’ve always been afraid of. With alittle bit of grammar, a sprinkling of vocabulary and plenty of off-topic conversations on Jewishfood, the structure of the liturgy and anything else that helps us have fun while learning.Absolutely no previous knowledge required. Previous students have even gone on toconfidently lead Shabbat morning services.

Improvers with David Strang

This course follows Naomi Brightwell’s class. We will consolidate the knowledge thatstudents have from the beginners’ class and will aim to ensure that by the end of the year,they are able to read key prayers from Siddur Lev Chadash and passages from the Torah. We willalso start to look at the structure of biblical Hebrew, so that students can begin to understandthe meaning of the texts they are reading. All adults welcome; basic Hebrew reading required.

Intermediate Hebrew with Tom Tlalim

This is a group that wishes to increase fluency and participate in the service, not only fromthe congregation, but from the bimah as well. If you know your letters and want to keep upyour reading, don’t mind having a go at reading Hebrew in the service, then feel free to jointhis class.

Shabbat 9.45-10.45 30th April – 2nd July

Learning from Texts with Bernie Bulkin

This year the class is going to tackle a number of philosophical and theological issues, among them:

m How do we find meaning in Jewish observance?

m Is the apparent conflict between science and religious belief resolvable?

m What do we need, as humans, and what does God need?

m Do we require ethical injunctions from religion?

m What do we mean by revelation, and is it essential to Jewish belief today?

m What were the prophets raging about?

We will do this primarily from the writings of Abraham Joshua Heschel and Eliezer Berkovits, plus someshort articles by others such as Leo Strauss and Kenneth Seeskin.

We also do some parashah study at the beginning of most classes, usually based on commentary ofAvivah Gottleib Zornberg and Nehama Leibowitz. No prior knowledge required, just an inquiring mindand more or less regular attendance.

Shabbat 9.45-10.45

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Saturday 18th June 2016A Day of Poetry, Conversation and Debate

All day pass £42with lunch and buffet supper

Evening pass £22with buffet supper

‘Early bird’ rates £32 and £17 to 15th May

Full programme details and tickets from https://poetsquest4peace.eventbrite.co.uk

Raficq AbdullaSasha DugdaleChoman Hardi

Fady JoudahZiba Karbassi

Mohamed Keshavjee

MaitreyabandhuGeorge SzirtesStephen Watts

Due to urgent roof repairs andscaffolding being erected alongsidethe synagogue, there is very limitedparking on the LJS forecourt untilAugust. If you come by car, pleasedo not assume that you will be ableto park at the synagogue.

If you are celebrating a special birthday ormarking another big event, have you thoughtabout contributing to the weekly kiddushfollowing our Shabbat morning service? If youwould like to take part in the service to mark aspecial occasion, please contact Naomi Richlandon 020 7432 1283 or email her at rabbispa@ljs.org

We wish these youngmembers of the LJS a veryhappy birthday in June:

Ela BehrDaniel BrightwellRachel BrooksMaximilien BuenoTobias ChitayatHannah CohenFinlo CowleyMichael FalkJessica GeneenLia GrantHugo Halford-HarrisonMathilde HindlerCelia Hou KernkrautBeatrice IsaacsonEva KondakEthan KulikovsEstella Levi-FrenchJoseph LevinCostanza LevyTomaso LevyTamara Lindbland HillMiriam MajerDaniel MautnerEva MautnerHannah MautnerBenjamin MillerAntonia MooreRomilly MorrisonSienna NoppeMia Ohana-SamputSamuel RitblatYonatan RoodnerJohnny RosenMarco RudolphJan Ruiz-DaumSamuel SalasRachel SemayaIsaac SharpstoneVictor SparksZara TeacherMiriam TordayGabriel TuveyJoshua WahaHelena Walford

YoungLJS

14

TINY TOTS at the LJSDo you have little ones aged

between 0 and 4?

Please bring them to the LJS on Shabbatmornings

11th, 18th and 25th June2nd and 9th July

for a delightful session of songs, stories, drawing and kiddush.

Activities for tiny ones with their parents,grandparents and carers.

The nursery is available every Shabbatfor children to play or read.

Please email education@ljs.orgto be added to the Tiny Tots circulation list.

©shin28/Fotolia.com

Food for the brain: Nosh ’n’ Drosh

The KT class of 2016The KT class of 2016

Their big day: Simon Browning, Isabella Sinclair, Rachel Crawley,Kajsa Cohen, Jessica Falk, Noah Gershon, Leora Browning, SamRitblat and George Blumenthal, accompanied by RabbiAlexandra Wright, on the way to their Kabbalat Torah service.

Speakers at future sessionswill include:

n Shabbat 9th July:Robin Michaelson

n Shabbat 17th September:Eva Schloss

n Shabbat 26th November:Vivien Rose

n Shabbat 10th December:Rabbi David J. Goldberg willinterview Lord Howard

Would you like to sponsor aNosh ‘n’ Drosh?

For more information,please speak to MartinSlowe or Rabbi AlexandraWright.

VIDEO AND TEA From 13.30-16.30 on the fourthWednesday of each month.Just come along – no need tobook. Soup on arrival then aDVD (film classics, musicals,etc) followed by a delicious teaincluding home-made ice-cream. Donation of £2.

25th June: Breakfast at Tiffany’sAudrey Hepburn and GeorgePeppard in the iconic tale ofHolly Golightly.

27th July: The Second Best Exotic Marigold HotelJudi Dench and the other starsreturn to India.

YZ

RESTAURANT TUESDAY Restaurant Tuesday meets onthe third Tuesday of everymonth and is a friendly andinformal lunch club for themore elderly members of thecongregation.

Please let the office know ifyou are coming for the firsttime or if you are a regularwho cannot come. (020 72865181). There is always avegetarian option and we tryto cater for special dietaryneeds. Lunch starts at 12.30and costs £4.

YZ

SPONSOR A KIDDUSHShabbat 11th June – in honourof the Queen’s 90th birthday.

Shabbat 25th June – Kiddushand lunch to welcome newMembers and Friends.

If you would like to sponsor

one of these, please contactNaomi Richland rabbispa@ljs.orgor telephone 020 7432 1283.

YZ

The BridgeClub meetsfrom 14.00to 17.00everyMondayin theAssembly

Hall upstairs at The LJS.Anyone with any knowledgeof the game is most welcome.This is a social afternoon ratherthan a competitive one. Thereis a friendly atmosphere andhelpful suggestions. The cost(including tea or coffee) is £2.New members are welcome:for more details leave amessage for Neil Levitt orWilliam Falk at 020 7286 5181.

YZ

DINNER FOR YOUNG ADULTSAre you aged between 25 and35 – or thereabouts? Orperhaps you have children orgrandchildren of that age?

Friday evening dinners foryoung adults are held once amonth at The LJS. Future datesare 3rd June and 15th July.

YZ

ASYLUM SEEKERS DROP-INThe LJS Drop-in for asylumseeker families will open onSunday 5th June from 14.00-16.00. Note that the JuneDrop-in is taking place on the

first Sunday of the monthbecause of Shavu’ot.

Following the June Drop-in, Harriett Goldenbergwill lead a reflectivesession until 17.30.

If you are interested involunteering once amonth (or even a few times a year) please contact RabbiAlexandra Wright(a.wright@ljs.org) for moredetails.

YZ

ART GROUPInformal art group forbeginners and experiencedartists. The class meets at 11.00every Monday, except duringJewish festivals and BankHolidays. For more details callPaul Podolsky: 020 8346 2270.

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Our Com

munityBRIDGE CLUB

The WoolfInstitute

(Cambridge) is delighted to announce

that applications arenow being accepted forthe e-learning course, ‘Jews, Christians andMuslims in Europe:

Modern Challenges’. The closing date for

applications is 2nd August 2016. If youhave any queries about

the course, contact Dr Emma Harris,

Academic Co-ordinator, at eth22@cam.ac.uk

In my research for a biographyof Claude G. Montefiore, who isrevered as one of the foundersof Liberal Judaism and our firstPresident, I have come acrossreports in the newspaper TheJewish Guardian of September1925, on the occasion of theopening of the new LJSbuilding on the present site.

Claude‘s address, as Presidentof The LJS, was printed in full. Itwas accompanied by a poemin fulsome praise (reproducedon the right).

An editorial note said hisaddress was ‘moving andexquisitely phrased’ andextended good wishes toMontefiore, and said theinspiration for his life was fitlycommemorated in the poem,published over ‘the revealinginitials I.G.’

It would be good to knowwho was the poet but I havebeen unable to find this (theonly contemporary notableliterary person of these initialswas not a supporter of theJRU). The Jewish Chronicle alsoreported the opening of thebuilding and Montefiore’saddress, but without the poem.

His inspiration was, I assume,from a sonnet by John Miltonbeginning:

‘Cromwell, our chief of men,who through a cloud

‘Not of war only, butdetractions rude,

‘Guided by faith andmatchless fortitude…’

The poem imitates Milton’sstyle. But Montefiore wouldnot have been pleased to beconsidered to followCromwell. I do not know ofany other published verse in

praise of leaders of ourmovement. Perhaps one ofour poets might offer to writesome?

Bryan Diamond

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Congregants appreciate the warm welcome they receive atThe LJS and the contribution made by our many volunteers.Have you considered supporting the synagogue by includingit in your will? Your legacy would help ensure the continuingsupport of Jews and Judaism in our community.

To

CLAUDE G. MONTEFIORE.

Our Chief of men, perchance our only man,Noble Exemplar in these fading days.Serenely hast thou gone thy firm-set ways,Heedless of obloquy or zealot’s ban.

Thou knowest the Mountain-tracks; thou hast climb’d high!Rich Mountain-flowers from many a rugged side Thou gatherest, not to prank thyself with pride,But still to scatter blossoms far and nigh.

Scholar and seer, illumining our creed,With mind to soul attun’d, with lover’s grace,Well teachest thou, that Time cannot efface The glories of the Book, by word and deed.

Flower of our English Jewry, we acclaim Our thanks for all thy labours in His name.

I.G. 13th September, 1925.

Tribute to ‘Flower of our English Jewry’